{"id":268896,"date":"2020-07-29T21:02:55","date_gmt":"2020-07-29T11:02:55","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/southburnett.com.au\/news2\/?p=268896"},"modified":"2020-10-09T00:16:34","modified_gmt":"2020-10-08T14:16:34","slug":"budget-boost-for-goomeri","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/southburnett.com.au\/news2\/2020\/07\/29\/budget-boost-for-goomeri\/","title":{"rendered":"Budget Boost For Goomeri"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"\"
The Kilkivan-Goomeri section of the rail trail will undergo a $223,000 upgrade (Photo: Rail Trails Australia)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

July 29, 2020<\/strong><\/p>\n

Goomeri’s swimming pool, which has been closed since January, will receive a $509,000 upgrade to ensure it reopens in time for this year’s swimming season.<\/p>\n

News of the upgrade was announced on Wednesday when Gympie Regional Council handed down its 2020-21 Budget.<\/p>\n

Other proposed Goomeri improvements include an $85,000 upgrade to the skate park; $250,000 for land acquisition for a sewage treatment plant; and $50,000 for effluent irrigation.<\/p>\n

Kilkivan will receive $375,000 for Stage 2 of the Kilkivan Equestrian Centre; $5000 for barbecue upgrades in Lions Park; and a $5000 upgrade to the town centre gardens.<\/p>\n

Both towns will also share the benefits of a $223,000 upgrade of Gympie’s portion of the Kilkivan-Kingaroy Rail Trail.<\/p>\n

Lower Wonga Hall will receive a $200,000 upgrade; Woolooga’s Memorial Precinct will benefit from a $140,000 spend; and the Elgin Vale Sawmill will get a $50,000 renewal.<\/p>\n

Some of these projects will be funded from State Government Works For Queensland grants.<\/p>\n

The $141.9 million Budget will also benefit all rural ratepayers with a zero per cent rates rise this year to compensate them for steep rises over the past two years, largely fuelled by big increases in property valuations.<\/p>\n

However, residential ratepayers will face an average 3 per cent rate rise.<\/p>\n

The Council will retain its $160-a-year pensioner discount, along with a 10 per cent discount for early rates bill payments.<\/p>\n

Gympie Mayor Glen Hartwig said the 2020-21 Council budget would “go some way to help alleviate some of Council\u2019s significant financial strain”.<\/strong><\/p>\n

He admitted the Budget process had been difficult.<\/p>\n

“There is no shying away from the fact this Budget was extremely challenging,” Mayor Hartwig said.<\/p>\n

“As a Council we have done our best to claw back some of the deficit we inherited.<\/p>\n

“This Budget focuses on financial repair and the return to core services as needed by our community as we restore, rebuild to bring us back to a strong financial foundation.”<\/p>\n

He said Councillors had to make some extremely tough calls and were aware there would\u00a0 be some in the community who would be affected more than others by the Budget.<\/p>\n

“To those residents I say, this Council has done its best given what we have to work with,” he said.<\/p>\n

“There have been a number of unprecedented challenges, like COVID-19 and the economic impact it has had.<\/p>\n

“We are getting back to basics and this Budget has the ratepayer firmly at front of mind.<\/p>\n

“Our objective is to make sure we are delivering our core services well, and in a financially responsible way.”<\/p>\n

Mayor Hartwig said the “Back To Basics” budget would deliver a $3.45 million operational deficit in 2020-21 but promised a return to surplus in 2021-22.<\/p>\n

Gympie Regional Council CEO Shane Gray, who was appointed on July 2, said the Budget would provide a balance between sensible spending and the effective delivery of services.<\/strong><\/p>\n

“Councillors have spent a lot of time on this budget and while difficult in its creation, it will provide a solid financial base for the organisation,” he said.<\/p>\n

“I understand there has been a lot of interest in the community about the state of our finances of late and rightly so.<\/p>\n

“The Council and organisation have worked hard to deliver a Budget which focuses on core services for the resident and rate payer,” he said.<\/p>\n

Related articles:<\/strong><\/p>\n